Pros: Cheaper cost, Great picture quality, Easy to use, Wide library of content providers, Gaming features and Wii-like motion controller
Cons: Need to sign up separately with most content providers, Only a few free content providers, No easy way to stream media from a computer , Few games at launch
Cons: Need to sign up separately with most content providers, Only a few free content providers, No easy way to stream media from a computer , Few games at launch
Thanks to a varied range of content offerings--including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Crackle, and Pandora--that beats the Apple TV, the Roku 2 XS is the best all-around streaming-media box you can get for less than $100.
Roku is calling its new line of streaming-media boxes "Roku 2," but this is actually the fourth iteration of the device, which started its life as the "Netflix Player" in 2008. Like Apple TV, this is still a Netflix video streamer at its core--and a very good one--but along the way Roku has shrunk the box down; added several new "channels," including Amazon Video, Hulu Plus, Crackle, and Pandora; and bulked up feature-wise, upping the ante this go round with a new Bluetooth motion remote (included with the top-end $100 Roku 2 XS) that allows you to play games. The end result is arguably the most robust little streaming-media box for less than $100. The two step-down models in the line-- the Roku 2 XD ($80) and Roku 2 HD ($60)--have nearly all the features you'll find in the higher-end XS but trade the Bluetooth motion remote for a standard IR remote (the entry-level Roku HD offers 720p video output instead of 1080p but all three models are gaming-enabled--if you have that Bluetooth remote).
Roku 2 XS is the only one that includes an Ethernet port, should you choose to go wired. It's also the only one with a USB port, so you can play local video, audio, and photo files. Like the XD, the XS supports 1080p video. To be clear, all three Roku 2 models support gaming and work with the Bluetooth Roku Game Remote. But that remote costs $30 when purchased separately (a 2GB microSD card, needed for storing more than four games, is also included).
So, if you're already sold on a Roku 2, which model should you buy? For us, the choice is between the HD and the XS. Spend the extra dough if you're at all interested in gaming or if you need wired Ethernet connectivity. Pulling media off USB is a nice bonus of the XS model as well, but if you want the best compatibility for a wide range of USB-based digital files, you should probably consider the WD TV Live Plus or Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex TV. But be aware that there are plenty of free and paid iOS and Android remotes that can control any Roku model via Wi-Fi just as easily.
Meanwhile, if you just want the most affordable way to access Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, and other online media services, the Roku HD gets the job done.
One disappointment is the fact that the 2011 Roku models only offer standard 802.11n Wi-Fi, not the dual-band version found on the earlier Roku XDS model. While that probably won't affect many viewers, it does mean that advanced users (with more expensive routers) won't be able to use the 5GHz band. That one is less prone to the interference from cordless phones, microwaves, and other household electronics that's sometimes found on the crowded 2.4GHz band. Once you connect your Roku box to the TV and log in to your wireless network, you'll need to create a Roku account on the company's Web site , Once your account is set up and your Roku box is linked to it (as with Netflix, it displays a short code on the screen), you're ready to start adding channels. So-called "private channels" (see "The content" section below) can be added through the Netflix Web site. But all of the public channels are accessible right on the TV screen, through the Channel Store icon on the screen.
For many channels, the process is pretty much click and view. Others--such as Pandora--will require you to enter your e-mail address or account name and password, so you can sync with an existing account. Still others (Netflix) will require you to go visit their own site on a Web browser and sync your box with your account (again, with a four- or five-digit onscreen code).
None of it is hard or challenging, but it can be a bit time-consuming if you're adding a lot of channels--and you'll probably want to keep your laptop handy.
If you already have an older Roku model, the new one offers only a handful of improvements. Likewise, if you have a good Blu-ray player, a Net-connected TV, a PlayStation 3, or an Xbox 360, you'll already have access to many (but probably not all) of Roku's mainstream content providers--Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Pandora are widely supported, for example. Of course, if you don't already own one of those devices, it's a different story. The Roku 2 XS is more affordable than all of them, and it's got built-in Wi-Fi. With the exception of Best Buy's entry-level Dynex DX-WBRDVD1 (which offers just Netflix, Pandora, CinemaNow, and Napster), you won't find built-in Wi-Fi on entry-level Blu-ray players and even many Net-enabled TVs.
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